Related

35 thoughts on “The Proper Turn”

Hey Barry,
I too had trouble turning. Then I started studying this website videos and Chuck’s discussion. He is spot on! Soon as I narrowed my stance (previous MA instructors suggested I have a wide stance for better balance) I could turn freely. This website has what you are seeking. Keep reading and studying what Chuck is posting and saying! As a side note, one of MA students, Mike Dunaway, had a larger waist. He was able to shift and turn. There is no reason you should have problems. If you can swing the club back, you can swing it through.

Hey Barry,
Great to see that you are working on the swing. Mike Austin told me that he’d rather see the stance a bit open rather than closed.
That allows for a freerer hip turn – as you determined yourself. Definitely use the throw release. Just take care to note that the blade appears shut. It is actually facing each point of a circle as the body shifts and then the upper body turns.
Best.

The problem I have is unless I stand a little open I can’t turn. I’m trying to lose some weight to help. I hope to pick up some distance using M A swing. I will work on the throw. In stead as M A said harponing it. I will work on keeping the face shut on the back swing. I will give you an update on how it working. Big B !!!!

Chuck, in “The Golf Machine,” keeping your left arm straight is called “Extensor Action.” I have also discovered your blog and am enjoying it! Do you find the need to use stiff shafts in your clubs? Have you experimented with upright or normal club lies? Thanks for your efforts!

Ulf,
Glad you found the site! And, thanks for participating. It’s awesome that we are going international.
Your arms actually move at the same speed as your body. That eliminates the timing issue.
If you feel like your lead arm is dropping and not keeping the plane – Mike Austin gave me a tip:
The deltoid is your shoulder muscle above your arm. Tighten the deltoid on your lead arm a bit. That should keep the arm (and thus the club) in plane.
I will be putting up videos on this shortly. Unfortunately, people are pirating the videos and tips and then putting them on their own sites. Once I develop a protective format we will all be marching full speed ahead with an incredible amount of accurate information.
Best of luck and stay in touch!

VegaMan,
Hang in there. Go back to the basics. Start with a proper set up. Get really simple. If you are topping it your club HAS to be lifting above the ball. Check yourself in the mirror. Is your head rising? Do you have excessive movement?(Go back to the pivot video.) Take some swings at the range and go to the opposite extreme. Take some divots on practice swings. Let me know how you are doing.
Best

The first time I tried the MA swing was awesome. I though the world of golf was mine to conquer..hehehe. But after I practiced more & enhanced where I though needed improving, the worst I was hitting. Now I feel more power with the limited effort, but I keep topping the ball & very rarely do I hit it on the sweet spot. Somebody please tell me what I’m doing wrong, cos this really stressing me out.. 🙁

Hi Chuck!
I’ve just found this site and I really like it. I’m very exiting to practice everything on the range, but its snow on the ground here now so ive have to practice indoors. I have a question. Is there any timing of the arms in this swing? Im having problem with the dropping of my arms in my old swing, or is it just a turn from the top?
Ulf . Stockholm Sweden

Rick,
Thanks for the kind words. Glad to hear of your success. Effortless power is where it is at. Better on the body. Better on the psyche. Better use of energy to perform over 18 holes and/or multi-day events. Best, Chuck

Hey Chuck thanks for the response on correcting the draw, oh and congrats on the win for your Packers. Just wanted to share, my journey to change my swing actually began about 2 years ago when I stumbled across YouTube videos of Moe Norman. I couldn’t understand how Moe hit is so far, accurate and without effort. If you have seen any of the videos you know Moe talked alot, but wasn’t terribly good at explaining. This led me to a site called; “The Secret is in the Dirt” by Mike Mades. Mike did a better job of explaining Moe’s and Hogan’s pivot, but I still couldn’t feel the sensation. This of course led me to purchasing numerous Hogan books. My frame of reference was certainly expanding but my golf remained about the same… until recently with the discovery of Mike Austin. After collecting as much info as I could including your site about the technique of Mike Austin, I finally get it. It is great and it works !! If any of your readers doubts, just give it a real try and they will discover, as I have, how to hit the ball far, straight and with no effort. Moe put it best and I think Mike Austin would agree about his swing as well. Moe said:”most golfers out there hit the ball with powerless effort, I hit the ball with effortless power!” Continue the great work Chuck.
Rick

Hey Rick,
You are more than welcome. Thanks for the post and great to hear of your success.
If and when I had draw issues, Mike would either yell at me for not completing the ankle, knee and hip turn or turning the blade over.
You can try for the feel of the heel of the club reaching the ball first.
Mike told me at one point that he never wanted to see it turn left unless he intended to do so. Per Mike, “you can never control a hook.”
Best

Chuck, thanks for sharing the videos with all of us. Anyone who does not use the method you describe (from your lessons with Mike) is doing themselves a disservice. I purchased the Peace River Video and using the techniques, my driver distance increased about 30 yards with good accuracy. Unfortunately the video was not quite clear regarding the pivot as well as the head position. Your videos have helped clarify that for me and I can’t wait to try. I am in my mid fifties and I can’t tell you how nice it is to come into most par 4’s with driver and wedge. My golf buddies don’t like it much and keep asking me to quit trying to hit it further. My reply is always: “why, it’s so much fun”. The only difficulty I am having is that my miss is a big draw left. Did you start over-drawing the ball when you first started with Mike? Thanks and any other videos/posts would be appreciated. Thanks once again.

Chuck thanks for sharing all the information mike gave you.
Mike helped me in the late 60’s in Michigan at Plum Hollow and Meadowbrook Country Clubs. I have a few stories about nike i’ll tell you later.
CARL

Hey Steve,
On the backswing the right hip goes to 4 o’clock – 12 being the ball and 6 right behind you.
The right leg straightens. Virtually all of our weight is now on your right leg.
On the down swing, you right ankle extends, your right knee flexes and goes toward 10 o’clock.
The right knee caps then turns toward the target. In fact, it will end up almost toward left center field.
That’s what brings the right hip and consequently the entire right side into the shot.
You can start to see (and feel) how the low 6 joints come into play – the ankles, knees and hips.
Hope that helps.

Ken,
Thanks a bunch. Really try to get down the fundamental leg action and pivot. Check yourself in front of mirror or reflections in a window.
Make sure your head stays level and still, yet you have a complete back swing. Your head will turn after you hit the ball.
As Mike would say, “You have to have a foundation before you put the damn roof on”.
Best

Thank you so much for this website and all the great information. Thank you also for the way you treated Mike Austin in these videos, with such care and appreciation of him. I am making progress but can still only hit the ball about 220 or so. I hope to be able to hit it 240 or 250 and continue to study these videos and comments in hopes of getting it.

Chuck, great information!! I tried the damn kneecap and it really helped keep my upper body from moving toward the target. I was must have really been the proverbial dinosaur!! Thanks and Happy Belated Thanksgiving.

This blog reveals the true, never before released, secrets of golf's longest hitter, Mike Austin. It is the accumulation of hundreds of hours of taking and observing lessons directly with Mike. These are the keys to unlocking effortless power in your golf swing. Enjoy!